Dowth
Dowth is the site of Neolithic passage tombs near the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. It is one of the three main tombs of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, along with Newgrange and Knowth. Its features align it with the other passage tombs, which date from around 3200 BC. Unlike its bigger neighbours, Dowth has mostly been left as a ruin, although its smaller inner chambers are largely intact. The Royal Irish Academy carried out a botched excavation in 1847, leaving a large crater in the mound that has never been repaired.
Description
The cairn or tumulus is about in diameter and high, and surrounded by large kerbstones, some of which are decorated. Quartz was found fallen outside the kerbing, suggesting that the entrance to this tomb was surrounded by glittering white stone, as at Newgrange. Three stone-lined passages lead into the mound from the west. These comprise two passage tombs and a souterrain.The longest of the passages is 18.2 metres in length and is crossed by 3 sill-stones and ends in a cruciform chamber with a lintelled roof. Dowth South is 3.5 metres long and ends in a roughly circular chamber with a modern concrete roof. In Dowth North, several of the orthostats of the passage and chamber are decorated with spirals, chevrons, lozenges and rayed circles. On the floor stands a single stone basin, 1.4m x 1m in size. The right-hand arm of the cross leads into another long rectangular chamber with an L-shaped extension entered over a low sill, sometimes referred to as 'the annex'. This may be the earliest part of the tomb, later brought within the design of the cruciform tomb. This annex is floored with a 2.4 metre-long flagstone containing an oval bullaun. Until recently, the cruciform tomb was reached by climbing down a ladder in an iron cage, and crawling about over loose stones. Now, access is restricted, and all the features are guarded by metal grilles.
A kerbstone with cup-marks, a spiral, and a flower-like design marks the entrance to Dowth South. While the current roof is modern, it is possible the original one was corbelled, as at Newgrange. This tomb has a few decorated stones and a large right-hand recess.
The third entrance visible on the west side of Dowth is an early Christian souterrain. It leads into the passage of Dowth North and was constructed around the 10th or 11th century. The Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters refer to Norsemen plundering the "cave‟ of Dowth around 862; the "cave" in this description may refer to the souterrain.
The mound originally had about 115 kerbstones surrounding it. Kerbstone 51, sometimes called the Stone of the Seven Suns, features a number of radial circular carvings, similar to those at Loughcrew.
Archaeological investigation
Dowth was excavated in 1847 by the Royal Irish Academy. In this botched investigation, the middle of the mound was almost completely dug out and dynamited. It was not filled in again, and some of the stone was then quarried. This large crater has still not been repaired.Unlike Newgrange and Knowth, Dowth has not been independently dated, but its features align it with the other passage tombs which date from between approximately 3200 and 2900 BC. In 1970, archaeologist Peter Harbison dated the tomb at 25002000 BC.
Archaeological and geophysical field surveys of the entire site, including later monuments, were carried out episodically from 2012 to 2015. In July 2018, another passage tomb in the grounds of nearby Dowth Hall was excavated, revealing significant examples of Neolithic rock art similar to those at Dowth and the other Brú na Bóinne sites.